Example:

German Times: ‘Akademiker wegen Friedensaufruf festgenommen‘, Die Zeit, Jan 15, 2016 [Tr: “Academics arrested for Call for Peace”]

The Lie:

Die Zeit (German Times) invents a new crime, ‘Call for Peace’, then accuses Turkey of locking academics up for it.

In Reality:

‘Call for Peace’ (Friedensaufruf) is NOT a crime in Turkey or Germany for that matter. The media deliberately made that up.

Method:

Think of something that’s impossible to dislike, such as ‘freedom’, ‘peace’, ‘equality’, ‘human rights’. Then say that in nation X authorities arrest people for exactly those things. This will form the meanest of opinions about that country in the minds of the readers.

Motive:

Enemy propaganda. Demote the foreign nation, disrupt society, demonize the foreign government. Create heroes, martyrs, saviors, and lots of dissidents for foreign “regimes” until their nation ideally collapses.

Result:

The targeted nation becomes paranoid, insecure, and -hopefully- more repressive as a result. Naturally, the government will want to censor the foreign lies and launch its own enemy propaganda. This in return will confirm the aggressor’s initial propaganda and create… more enemy propaganda! Finally, war - even if it’s unwinnable - becomes the only option to restore one’s nation’s dignity (or die trying).

Variations:

Nation X cracks down on moderates [read: separatists backed by Western governments];

Nation X arrests human rights activists [read: trouble-makers and attention seekers];

Nation X clamps down on freedom of speech [read: exposed the lies of the media].

Only-known, hypothetical cure:

Stop media lies. But that’s an attack on our free press you see: Now, YOU are an enemy! Good luck with that…

Image source: Vintage propaganda poster ‘This is the Enemy‘